Type-writing machine.



A. T. BROWN.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION nun NOV. 25, 1905.

1,030,500. Patented June 25, 1912.

4 BHBBTS-BHBET 1.

qwi/tmmeo A. T. BROWN.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, 1905.

Patented June 25, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m m umruall '1 I.

"' \O O O O O O 4B O O O o O 0 O O o o O O 0 9 O u 0 I!) r) .xgg

O O O O o o o o 0 O o O 0 l 0 O O O O a wvQ/wtoz A. T. BROWN.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, 1905. 1 ,Q30,500 Patented June 25, 1.912.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

MY/M Gummy 3 A. T. BROWN.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLIGATIOX FILED NOV25,1905. 1,030,500. Patented June 25, 1912.

4 SHEETBSHEET 4.

2X i hwa oco Snow/v1 for UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXAKDER '1. BROWN, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, ALEXANDER T. BROWN, citizen of the United States,'and resident of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type- Machines, of which the following is a speci cation.

My invention relates to typewriting machines and more especially to the-ribbon mechanism of such machines.

I provide a typewriting machine with a plurality of ink ribbons which may be of diflerent colors or charged with different pointed out in the claims. I

' One embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a front to rear vertical sectional view of a front strike typewriting machine; Fig. ,2 is a detail view in front elevation of a ribbon guide; Fig. 3 is a detail view of a ribbon spool and guide as seen from the top; Fig. 4 is a view of the machine in transverse vertical section; Fig. 5 is a detail view of I the 'ribbon feeding mechanism; Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the ribbon vibrators and the means for controlling the same; Fig. 7 is a detail "iewof one of said vibrators; Fig. 8 is a detail view in vertical section illustrating the automatic reversing mechanism; Fig. 9, is a view similar to Fi 5" Fi 10 is a detail view of a.

b 7 b portion of the automatic reversing mech-,

anism as seen from above; and Figs. 11, 12 a'ndl3 are detail plan-views of another part 'of the same mechanism,the parts being shown in different positions in the different views. a i

I have shown my invention applied to a front-strike typewriter, the main frame of which comprises .a base portion 1 from which rise posts 2, which support a top plate 3 on which is mounted a stationary rail 4 .in the front and rear edges of which Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 25, 1905.

Serial No. 289,098.

are formed raceways which cooperatewith raceways in the carriage 5, on which is Patented June 25, 1912.

mounted the platen 6. The keys 7 have stems which are pivoted to arms 8 on rock shafts 9, which are journaled at their forward ends in frame plates 10 and at their rear ends in the base portion 1 of the main frame. position by springs 11, this part of the mechanism being similar to that ordinarily used in the Smith Premier typewriter.

Each of the rock shafts 9 carries an arm 12, the free end of which is connected by a link 13 with-the forwardly extending arm of a bell crank sub-lever 14,-which is pivoted at 15 in a hanger 16, which is secured by a. screw 17 to a stationary vertical segment 18. The series of sub-levers 14 are all mounted to oscillate in vertical planes and are segmentally arranged. Each of said Said rock shafts are held in normal sub-levers has an upwardly extending arm which 18 connected by a link 19 with one of the type bars 20. These type bars are formed at their pivotal ends with eyes having internal ball races formed therein which cooperate with corresponding ball racesin a segment 21, which is mounted for'an' up and down case shift motion. Each of the sub-levers 14 has a rearwardly extending arm 22 to which is connected one end of a' Spring 23, the. other end of which is connected to a hook formed on a washer 24 which lies beneath the head of the screw 17 by which the hanger 16 is secured to the segment 18. The rearwardlyextending arms 22 lie beneath a universal bar 25 having the form of a stepped segment and mounted for up and down parallel motion. The universal bar 25 is supported near its ends by arms 26 rigidly mounted on a rock shaft 27 which is journaled in the main Each of the arms 26 is'pivoted at frame. its free end to abracket 28 secured to the universal bar. ,A .bracket 29, depending from said universalbar near the middle thereof, is pivoted to oneend of a link 30,

the other end of which is pivoted toa bracket 31 which is secured to the fixed segment 18. The arms 26 and thelink-30 are substantially parallel and said arms and link guide the universal bar in a parallel up and down motion.

A bracket 32 (F ig. 4) fixed to the universalbar carries a fixed dog 33 (Fig. 1) and a loose dog 34 which cotiperate with an c'apement wheel 35, which is fixed (Hi tie forward end of a shaft 36, which is journaled in frameplates 37 and 38 which rise from the back shelf 39 of the main frame. The shaft 36 has mounted thereon a pinion '37 which meshes with a gear wheel 38 with a rack bar 43 which is fixed to the underside of the carriage 4. The construction is such that the carriage is driven by the spring drum 41 and its motion is controlled by the escapement wheel 35. -A beveled gear 44 (Fig. 4) is rigidly connected with the gear 40 and meshes with a beveled gear 45 which is fixed on a shaft 46, which is journaled at its inner end in the frame plate 37 and at its outer end in a bracket of the main frame. The shaft 46 carries near its outer end.a pinion 47 which meshes with asegmental rack 48, which is mounted on the inner endof a short rock shaft, on the outer end of which is fixed the hub 49 of a lever 50 having a handle 51 formed thereon. The construction is such that if the handle 51 be depressed the segmental rack 48 will turn the shaft 46 in a direction opposite of that shown by the arrow in Fig. 4, and the gear wheel 40 will be turned and the carriage returned toward initial position. The mechanism thus far described is not claimed here in but is claimed in other applications of mine co-pending herewith.

In the present instance, I have-shown two ink ribbons 52 and 53 which, for example, may be a black ribbon and a red'ribbon respectively. These ribbons are wound on separate spools which are located above the top plate 3 on either side of the printing point,

.said. spools being mounted to rotate about vertical axes. The spools 54 for the black ribbon lie just above the top plate and the .spools 55 for the red ribbon are disposed above said spools 54. The spools 54 and on the left-hand side of the machine constitute -two spool sections loosely mounted on the upper end of a single vertical shaft 56. which is journaled in the top plate 3 and which is journaled' at its lower end in a bracket 57 projecting from one of the posts 2. The spools on the right-hand side ofthe machine are similarly mounted on a similar shaft 58 which is journaled near its upper end in the top plate 3 and near its lower end in a bracket 59 projecting from the main frame. The spools are driven by the shafts 56 and 58, in a manner which will presently be described. Rigidly mounted on the lower ends of the shafts 56 and 58 are beveled tion 1 of the main frame. A pinion 65 loose on the shaft 63 meshes with a segmental rack 66 which is integral with the segmental rack 48. The construction is such that when the carriage moves in either direction the beveled gear 44, meshing with the beveled gear 45, turns the shaft 46, whichmoves the segments 48 and 66, and turns the pinion 65.

As it is not desired to feed the ribbon except wheirthe carriage is moved toward the left, the p nion 65 has its hub formed with ratchet teeth which mesh with corresponding ratchet teeth on a collar 67 which is loose on the shaft 63 but which is constrained to turn with said shaft by a pin and slot connection 68. The sleeve 67 is pressed into engagement with the hub of the pinion 65 by a spring 69 which is compressed between said sleeve and the beveled pinion 62. The directions of motionof the gear wheel 40, the

, shaft 46, the shaft 63 and the shafts'56 and 58 when the carriage is being fed toward the left, are indicated by arrows in Fig. 4. The beveled pinions 61 and 62 are mounted on opposite sides of the axes of the shafts 56 and 58, so that said shafts are turned in opposite directions. tended to the left-hand side of the machine where it has mounted thereon a hand crank 70 by which the said shaft may be turned.

The manner in which the spools 54 and 55 are mounted on the vertical shafts 56 and 58 will be best understood by reference to Figs. 8 and 9. The lower spool 54 has a hub 71 which is loosely mounted on the shaft 56 and which rests on the top plate 3, as shown in Fig. 8. The upper spool 55 has a hub 72 the longitudinal opening in which is larger at the bottom than a. the top, as shown in Fig. 8. The large part of said opening fits loosely over the end of the shaft- 56 and the small part is journaled on a headed and shouldered screw 73 which is threaded into the end of saidshaft, so that said hub rests on the end of the shaft and is held against upward motion by'tlle head of the screw. The hubs 71 and 72 are formed with ratchet clutch teeth on their upper and lower faces respectively, and said clutch teethare adapted to cotiperate with similar clutch teeth formed on the ends of a sleeve 74. The shaft 56 is formed with a longitudinal slot or groove 75 in which slides a bar 76 which is formed at its upper end with a lug 77 which projects into anopening in the sleeve 74. The construction is such that the sleeve 74 is constrained to turn with the shaft 56 but said sleeve may be moved up and down on said shaft by said bar. At

The shaft 63 is ex- 'frame.

its lower end the bar 76 is formed with a second lug 78 which projects into an opening in a sleeve or collar 79 which is loose on the shaft 56 and which is formed wit-h an annular groove into which fits the end of a lever arm 80, by which said sleeve is moved up and down.- The sleeve 74 may occupy an upper position in which it is clutched to the upper spool 55 to turn said spool with the shaft, or a lower position in which it is clutched to the lower sleeve 54 to turn that spool, or an intermediate position, as shown in Fig. 9, in which neither spool is clutched to the shaft. In pra'gtice one of the sleeves 74 will occupy its intermediate position and the other of said sleeves will occupy one of its extreme positions, with the result that only one of the four ribbon spools will be clutched to a driving shaft at a time. In Fig. 4, the left-hand sleeve 74 is shown in its lower position and the right-hand sleeve 74 is shown in its intermediate position, so that both of the right-hand spools 55 are disconnected from the shaft 58 and the lefthand spool 54 is connected with the shaft 56 to feed the black ribbon toward the left. Each of the arms 80 is the horizontally disposed arm of a bell crank which has a pivot pin 81 which projects into a vertical slot 82 in a bracket 83, which is secured to the main Each of the bell cranks has a depending arm 84 and said depending arms are connected together by a rod 85 so that said bell cranks are constrained to rock in unison. By an inspection of Fig. 4, it will be perceived that if the rod 85 be moved .toward the right until the right-hand sleeve 74-is depressed into engagement with the right-hand sleeve 71, the left-hand sleeve 74 will be raised to its intermediate inoperative position and the parts will be connected up to feed the black ribbon to the right, thus reversing the feed of the ribbon. This reversing operation is effected automatically. Within the hollow central part of each of the spools 54 is pivoted a weighted lever 80, the vertical part of which lies in a vertical slot in the drum portion of the spool. WVhen the ribbon is wound on the spool, said ribbon holds the lever 80 in the position shown in Fig. 4; but when the'ribbon is unwound from this part of the drum, said lever falls by gravity to the position shown in Fig. 8. \Vhen the lever drops to this latter position, a portion 87 thereof moves into the path of an arm 88 which is rigidly mounted on the upper end of a rock shaft 89 and extends across the top of the spool 54; The rock shaft 89 is journaled in the top plate 3 and also near its lower end in the bracket 57; and at its lower end said ,rock shaft has rigidly secured thereto a horizontal arm 90 (Figs. 8, 11, 12 and 13). The shaft 56 has a ratchet wheel 91 secured theretodust above the beveled gear 60 and the arm 84 has a spring arm 92 pivoted thereto at 93, and said spr ng arm is formed at its end with a tooth 94 which is adapted to be pressed by the arm 90 into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 91. The free end of the spring arm 92 is supported by an ear 95 projecting from said spring arm and resting on the ratchet wheel 91;

When the ribbon 52 has become so far exhausted from one of its spools 54 as to uncover the lever 86 of that spool, said lever drops to the position shown in Fig. 8 with the portion 87 thereof in position to engage the arm 88., By the further rotation of the spool, the lever end 8'7 presses the arm 88 in the direction of its arrow in ,Fig. 10, thus moving the arm 90 in the direction of its arrow in Fig. 11 and pressing the tooth 94 into engagement with the ratchet wheel 91, as shown in Fig. 12. Upon a further rotation of the shaft 56, the ratchet wheel 91 will draw the spring arm 92 and lever arm 84 to the position shown in Fig. 13, thus raising one of the sleeves 7 1 to its inoperative position anddepressing theother sleeve74 to position to operate the other spool 54. The spools 55 have a reversing mechanism similar to that which has just been described. Each of these spools has a weighted lever 96 pivoted within it, and when the ribbon is wound about the spool said ribbon holds said lever in the position shown in Fig. 4;

but when the lever is uncovered by the unwinding of the ribbon, it drops by gravity to the position shown in Fig. 8. -When'the lever is in the latter position, a lug 97 on the end thereof drops into the path of an arm 98 (Figs .8 and 10) which is fixed on the upper end of a rock shaft 99 and lies just beneath the spool 55. The rock shaft 99 is journaled in the to plate 3 and in the bracket 57 and has xed to its lower end a horizontal arm 100 (Figs. 8 and 11), the free end of which is connected by a link 101 with a spring arm 102 which is pivoted to the lever arm 84 at 93 and which lies on the opposite side of the ratchet wheel 91 from the spring arm 92. The spring arm 102 has an ear 103 which rests on the ratchet wheel 91 to support the free end of said arm, and also a tooth 104 which is adapted to be drawn into engagement with the ratchet teeth by the link 101. The construction is such that when one of the levers 96 is released, its lug 97 drops into the path of the arm 98 and by the continued rotation of the spool 55 said lug moves said arm in the direction of its arrow in Fig. 10, thus moving the arm 100 in the direction of its arrow in Fig. 11 and drawing the tooth 104 into engagement with the ratchet wheeL: The continued rotation of the ratchet wheel will push the arm 102 and lever arm 84 in a direction opposite of that in which the parts would be moved by the tooth 94, with the result that the bell crank levers S0, 81 w ll be rocked and one of the spools 55 will be clutched to its driving shaft and the other of said spools will be unclutched from its driving shaft and the direction of feed of the red ribbon will be reversed. The arms 88 and 98 are held in their normal positions by a spring 105 (Fig. 10), which is connected at its ends to said arms and tends to draw them toward each other. The motion of the parts under the impulse of said spring is limited by a pin- 106 (Figs. 8 and 11) which depends from the bracket 57 and stands between the arms 90 and 100.

The feed mechanism is disconnected from a spool of one ribbon and is connected with a spool and the other ribbon by raising or lowering the levers 80, 81 bodily. -In order to permit of this motion the slots 82 through which the pivot pins or screws 81 of these levers pass, are elongated vertically and the spring arms J2 and 102 are pivoted to the lever arms 8-1, so that the 'raisingand lowering of these lever arms does not interfere with the engagement of the spring arms with the ratchet wheels 91. If the parts occupy the position shown in Fig. 1 in which the left-hand lower spool is clutched to its driving shaft, and if the levers 81 be then raised until the pivot pins 81 are at the tops of the slots 82, as shown in Fig. 5. the left-hand sleeve 74 will be raised out of engagement. with the clutch member 71 to its intermediate or inoperative position. and the right-hand sleeve 71 will be raised from its intermediate position into engagement with the clutch member 72, and the parts will be connected up to feed the red ribbon toward the right If the reversing mechanism is brought into operation while the parts are in this position, the rod will be moved toward the right, depressing the right-hand sleeve 74 to inoperative position and raising the left-hand sleeve 74 into engagement with the left-hand clutch member 72, and the parts will then be in position to feed the red ribbon toward the left. In order to simultaneously raise the levers .80, 84 in the manner above referred to, the rod 85 passes loosely through openings in the free ends of arms 107 (Fig. (i) which are fixed on a rock shaft 108 from which they project toward the rear of the machine. A finger lever or key 109 is secured to the rock shaft 108 and projects toward the front of the machine. The mechanism is normally held by gravity in position to feed the black ribbon, the corresponding position of the finger lever 109 being indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6; but the feed mechanism may be connected with the red ribbon by depressing said linger lever to the position shown in full lines in said figure.

Each of the ribbons extends across the machine in front of the platen a little below the printing point, one of the ribbons being disposed in front of the other. The

ribbons are guided into this relative dispo- 110 toward the front of the machine. The black ribbon 52 passes through an oblique guide slot 113 in the plate '110, thence upward to a guide slot 114 parallel to the slot 113 and thence across the machine back of the red ribbon 53.

I have proyided two separate ribbon vibrators or bobbers 115 and 116 for the two ink ribbons. Each of these vibrators, as best shown'in Fig. 7, consists of a U-shaped piece of sheet metal having a space between the arms thereof, through which the type strikes against the paper and having ribbon guides bent up from its edges. The plates 115 and 116 are each secured to a bar or strip 117 which extends downward through the top plate 3 and has a loop 118 formed at its lower end. A bracket 11? depending from the top plate has a guide slot through which the strips 117 extend. The two vibrators normally register and lie back to back so that the two loops 118 have their open ends facing each other as shown in Fig. 1, the two loops when in normal position thus constituting practically an elongated slot. \Vhen in normal position the bottoms of the plates 115 and 116 rest on the top plate 3. Into the loops 118 extends a pin 119 fixed to the forward end of an arm or lever 120 which is pivotedat 121 to the upper end of a vertical lever 122 which is mounted in cars 123 projecting from the frame plate 37. The lever 122 extends below its support 123 and is connected by a link 121 with an arm 125 which extends downward from the rock shaft 108. The construction is such that when the rock shaft 108 is in its normal position in which the ribbon feed mechanismis connected up to feed the black ribbon, the lever 122 stands in such position as to hold the pin 119 in the loop 118 of the ribbon vibrator 115 of the black ribbon; but when thc'finger key 101;) is depressed, said .pin 119 is moved toward the front. of the machine into the loop 118 of the vibrator 116 of the red ribbon. The lever 120 is moved up and down to vibrate the ribbon by a link 126 which is pivoted to the lever 120 at 127 intermediate the ends of said lever, and which is pivoted at its lower end in ears 128 mounted on the uni-- versal bar. The construction is such that when the universal bar is moved up and down by the keys, that ribbon vibrator whose loop 118 is engaged by the pin 119 will also be moved up and down. It will be perceived that the same finger piece which connects the feed mechanism with one or another of the ribbons also connects the vibrator operating device with the corresponding vibrator.

It will be perceived that the guide plates 115 and 116 are independently movable into and out of printing position, and it will be understood that this movement might be effected by other than vibratory, key controlled means. It will also be understood that one of the ribbons might be dispensed with, and the feed mechanism and vibrator of the other couldthen be thrown into or out of operation, so that the machine could be used for ordinary writing or for mimeograph work.

Various other changes in the details of construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the gist of my several improvements.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a shaft: a ribbon spool loosely mounted on said shaft; a clutch connection between said spool and shaft; means for shifting said clutch; a-ratchet wheel on said shaft adapted to operate said shifting means; and means for automatically connecting said shifting means with said ratchet wheel. I

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination of ashaft; a ribbon spool driven by said shaft; a ratchet wheel fixed on said shaft; and ribbon feed reversing mechanism including a pawl arranged to be moved into engagement with said ratchet wheel and to be operated by said ratchet wheel, and a .shiftable device operated by said pawl.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination of ribbon spools; a train of mechanism for driving said spools to feed the ribbon; a ratchet wheel constantly connected to be turned by said train of mechanism; and automatic feed reversing mechanism including a pawl arranged to be moved into engagement with said ratchet wheel andtto be operated by said ratchet wheel, and a shiftable device operated by said pawl.

4. In a typewriting machine, the combination with ribbon spools, of feed devices for operating 'said ribbon spools and feed reversing mechanism, including a member which is shiftable to reverse the feed; a rotary toothed wheel; and means for connecting said shiftable member with said toothed wheel on one side thereof to shift' said member in one direction and for connecting said shiftable member with said toothed wheel on the other side thereof to shift said member in the other direction.

5. In a typewriting machine, the combination of two spools for an ink ribbon; means for turning said spools to feed the ribbon; a member which is shiftable to reverse the feed of the ribbon; a toothed wheel constantly connected to be drivenby said spool-turning means; and means for automatically connecting said shiftable member with said toothed wheel, whereby said member is shifted.

(3. In a typewriting machine, the combination of two spools for an ink ribbon; means for turning said spools to feed the ribbon; a frame which is shiftable to reverse the feed of said ribbon; two toothed wheels constantly connected to be driven by said spool-turning means: and means for connecting said frame with one or the other of said wheels, whereby said frame is shifted in one direction or the other.

T. In a typewriting machine, the combination of means for feeding either one of a plurality of ink ribbons; a feed reversing device: and means controlled by any one of the ribbons for actuating said device.

8. In an ink-ribbon mechanism, the com-.

bination with separate vibrators for different ink-ribbons, of an operating lever; a universal bar for actuating said lever; and means for connecting said lever at- Will with either vibrator to actuate the same.

9. In an ink-ribbon mechanism, the combination with separate vibrators for different ink-ribbons, said vibrators being provided with loops, of an arm provided with a pin for engaging with said loops; means for causing said pin to engage with either 100 and means for actuating said arm and t e vibrator connected therewith.

10. In an ink-ribbon mechanism, the combination of spools for two ink-ribbons; vibrators for said ribbons; means for operating either of said vibrators singly; ribbon driving mechanism connectible with a spool of either ribbon; and means for connecting said driving mechanism and said operating means with a spool and the vibrator respectively of any of said ribbons.

11. In an ink-ribbon mechanism, the combination of separate sets of spools for different. ink-ribbons; independent vibrators for said ribbons provided with slots or 100 s; a movable arm carrying a pin and shi able to engage said in with said slots or loops singly; means or actuating said arm and the vibrator connected therewith; ribbon driving mechanism provided with shiftable members to connect said driving mechanism with said sets of spools singly; and means for shifting said pin carrying arm and shiftable members.

12. In a ribbon mechanism, the combination of a driven shaft; two ribbon spools loose thereon; clutch members on said spools; clutch members on said shaft; a lever for moving, by a rocking of said lever,

the latter clutch member into and out of position for co-action with one of said spool clutch members; and means for shifting said lever bodily and the clutch members actuated thereby into position where the shaft clutch members will co-act with the other of said spool. clutch members or not according to the angular position of said lever.

13. In a ribbon mechanism, the comb nation of a longitudinally grooved driven shaft; two ribbon spools loose thereon and provided with clutch members; clutch mem" bers and a collar slidable along said shaft: :1 rod sliding in said groove and connecting said slidable clutch members and said collar; a lever co-acting with said collar; and means formoving said lever and its fulcrum and said collar bodily, whereby the slidable clutch member is shifted along the shaft in dependently of the angular motion of said lever.

14. In a ribbon mechanism, the combination of a driven shaft: two ribbon spools loosely mounted on said shaft and provided with clutch members; clutch members ro tated by and movable along the shaft: an element having motion about an axis and by such motion moving the last mentioned clutch members; and means for moving said clement bodily relatively to said shaft and thereby further moving the last mentioned clutch members.

15. In a ribbon mechanism, the combination of two drivcn shafts; two ribbon spools loosely mounted on each shaft and provided with clutch members: shiftable clutch members on said shafts; levers for moving said shiftable clutch members; means connecting said levers with each other: and means for shifting the fulcra of and the clutch menr bers operated by said levers to move said shiftable clutch members out of position for co-action with the clutch members of the spools of one set and into position where they may co-act with the clutch members of the spools of the other set.

16. In a ribbon mechanism, the combination of a driven shaft; two ribbon spools loose thereon and provided with clutch members; a-shiftable clutch member on said shaft; a lever for moving said shiftable clutch member: levers mounted on said spools and held in by the ribbon; levers mounted on the frame and arranged to be operated individually by the said levers on the spools when these are released individually. and clutch mechanism operated by said levers on the frame. for connecting the clutch shifting lever with said shaft to operate said shift lever.

17. In a ribbon mechanism, the combina tion of two driven sha t't two ribbon spools for different ribbons loosely mounted on each shaft and,provided with clutch meinbers; shiftable clutch members on said shafts; connected shift levers for said shiftable clutch members: means for moving said shift levers bodily to connect up one ribbon or the other; and mechanism, controlled bv the ribbons. for actuating said shift levers for connecting and discol'mecting the spools of the ribbon in use.

18. In a ribbon mechanism. the combination of spools for different ink-ribbons: in dependent viln'ators for said ribbons for covering and uncovering the printing point: means shiftable from one to another of said vibrators for actuating said vibrators singly; means shiftable from one to another oftbe Sets of said ribbon spools, for feeding endwise the ribbon in use; and mechanism for shifting the vibrator o ierating and ribbon feeding mechanism sinuiltaneously.

19. In a ribbon mechanism. the combination of a shaft; a ratchet wheel fast thereon; a ribbon spool loose 'on said shaft; :1 shiftable clutch for connecting said spool and shaft: a lever for opening and closing said clutch: a pawl connected with said lever and normally out of engagement with said ratchet; and ribbon controlled mechanism for moving said pawl into engagen'icnt with said ratchet wheel to cause said lever to be operated to close the clutch.

20. .In a ribbon mechanism, the combination of two shafts; ribbon spools loose on said shafts; clutchesfor connecting" said spools with said shafts; connected levers for opening and closing said clutches; and ribhon controlled mechanism for actuating said levers to reverse the travel of the ribbon.

21. In a ribbon mechanism, the combination of two shafts: ribbon spools loose on said shafts: clutches for connecting said .spools with said shafts; cdnnectedrvlevers for opening and closing said clutches; ratchet wheels fast. on said shafts; pawls connected with said levers and normally disengaged from said ratchet wheels; and mechanism, controlled by the ribbon, for throwing said pawls into engagement with said ratchet wheels to actuate said levers and clutches.

22. In a ribbon mechanism, the combination of two shafts; ribbon spools loose on said shafts; clutches for connecting said spools with said shafts; connected levers for opening and closing said clutches; ratchet wheels fast on said shafts; pawls connected with said levers and normally disengaged from said ratchet wheels; other levers on the framework adapted to move said pawls into engagement with said ratchet wheels to -cause the operation of the clutch operating levers: and arms or levers on said spools. and controlled by the ribbon, for actuating said other levers.

23. In a ribbon mechanism, the combina tion of two shafts; means for driving each shaft in one direction only, two ribbon spools on, but rotatable independently of, each shaft; clutch members on said spools; movable clutch members on and t-Il IIllllg with said shafts and each adapted to engage 5 with either or neither of the clutch members of the spools on the same shaft; connected levers for operating said movable clutch members, the said levers being movable on the framework for shifting the movable 1o clutch members from one to the other set of spools; means for moving said levers on the framework; and ribbon contr'olled mechanism for actuating said levers in opening and closing the clutches.

24. In a ribbon mechanism, the combination of two shafts means for"dri.v ing each shaft in one direction only, two ribbon spools on, but rotatable independently of, each shaft; clutch members on said spools; movable clutch members on and turning with said shafts and each adapted to engage with either or neither of the clutch members of the spools on the same shaft; connected levers for operating said movable clutch members, said levers being movable on the framework for shifting the movable clutch members from one to the other set of spools, means for so moving said levers on the framework; ratchet wheels fast on said shafts; pawls connected with said levers and normally disengaged from said ratchet wheels; and ribbon controlled means for engaging said pawls with said ratchet wheels to operate said levers and clutches.

25. In a ribbon mechanism, the combination of two shafts; means for driving each shaft in one direction only, two ribbon spools on, but rotatable independently of, each shaft; clutch members on said spools; 4 movable clutch members on and turning with said shafts and each adapted to engage with either or neither of the clutch members of the spools on the same shaft; connected levers for operating said movable clutch 5 members, said levers being movable on the framework for shifting the movable clutch members from one to the other set of spools; means for moving said levers on the framework; ratchet wheels fast on said shafts; pawls connected with said levers and norengage said pawls with said ratchet wheels; other levers on the framework arranged to engage said pa'wls with said ratchet Wheels; and arms of levers on said spools, and controlled by the ribbons, for actuating said other levers.

26. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination of two shafts; spools for independent ribbons on said shafts, each of said shafts having a plurality ofspools thereon, one for each ribbon; means for guiding one ribbon behind the other; and lndependent vibrators for said ribbons to cause them, singly, to, cover and uncover the printing point.

27. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination of two vertical shafts; two ribbon spools on each shaft; standards ad' jacent to said spools and providedwith ob-. lique guides for moving one ribbon into position behind the other and with guides for that other ribbon; and independent vibrators for said ribbons to cause them, singly, to cover and uncover the printing point.

28. In a ribbon mechanism, the combination of a longitudinally grooved shaft two ribbon spools free to turn thereon and provided each with clutch members; movable clutch members on said shaft; a collar on said shaft; and a rod in the groove in said shaft connecting said collar and movable clutch members.

29L In a typewriting machine, the combibination of a plurality of ribbons, a vibratory guide for each ribbon, an actuating lever for said guides, means for connecting said lever separately to any one of said guides for independently vibrating the same toward and from the printing position, and means independent of said lever for supporting said guides.

31. In a typewriting machine, the combi- A nation of wo ribbons arranged one in front of the other adjacent to the printing point, independently movable vibrators for said ribbons, means for supporting said vibrators with the ribbons. normally out of printing position, and an operating device independent of said supporting means which is separately connect-ible'to either of said vibrators. I

32. In a typewriting machine, the combination of two ribbon bobbers, a single lever for operating said bobbers, and means for ieparately engaging said bobbers with said ever.

33. In a typewriting machine, the combination of two ribbon bobbers, a sin le lever for operating said bobbers, means or separately engaging said bobbers with said lever, and manually operated means for controlling said engaging mechanism.

34. In-atypewriting machine, the combination of a plurality of ribbon bobbers normally registering one with the other, and rotatable ribbon spools each comprising a plurality of sections arranged on a single shaft and adapted for receiving. different ribbons for different ribbon bobbers.

35. In a visible writing machine, the com 'Jination with a platen and printing instrumentalities arranged to strike at the front of said platen, of two shafts, ribbon spools for a plurality of ink ribbons mounted on said shafts, one ribbon being arranged above another, a plurality ofribbon vibrators, one for each ribbon, the ribbons in the different vibrators being normally in register, means for actuating said vibrators singly, and means for driving said shafts to impart a longitudinal feed to said ribbons.

36. In a front-strike typewriting machine, thecombination with a platen and printing instrumentalit-ies arranged to strike at the front of said platen, of spools for a plurality of ink ribbons, arranged co-axially one above the other, separate vibrators for said ribbons normally in register, and means for operating said vibrators singly.

37. In a typewriting machine, the combi nation of spools for two ribbons, each spool for one of said ribbons being co-axial with a I spool for the second ribbon, two vibrators for said ribbons, said vibrators normally standing one in frontnf the, other, and guides for one of saidribbons for giving to said ribbon a'd'ouble bend to bring it into registry with the other ribbon.

38. In a tyypewriting' machine, the combination. of spools for two ribbons, a driving 5 means for the spools of both ribbons, mech anism operated by thepower of said driving means and common to both ribbons for reversing the direction of feed, and means associated with each of said spools for automatically bringing said mechanism into operation. p 39. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a pair of ribbon spools, means for driving said spools including a vertical shaft for one of said spools, a vertical rockshaft, an arm on said rock shaft, a ribboncontrolled device on said spool adapted, when the ribbon is about exhausted from the spool, to actuate said arm, a toothed wheel driven by said spool-driving means, a pawl adapted to be moved by said rock shaft into engagement with said wheel, and means operated by said pawl for disconnecting one of said spools from and con- ALEXANDER T. BROl/VN.

l/Vitnesses:

' JOHN H. BARR, A. J. BRIGGS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

nect-ing the other spool with said driving 

